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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bore — to tire
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bore — to drill
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. kick — in football
  22. chair — a leader
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. kick — with a leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com